Green Spot Chateau Montelena Single Pot Still

Fruity with apple and vanilla with some complex notes of sherry sneaking through. A light pot still spiciness on the finish makes this easily palatable.

Nose: Oily cereal (classic pot still), vanilla, white grape juice, gooseberries, red apples. Floral aromas appear as it sits and opens in the glass (jonquils, hyacinth, honeysuckle). There is an initial touch of acetone in the nose which grates just a bit but it dissipates quickly. Adding water tones down the nose (maybe a bad thing?) makes the barley aromas dusty and warm, which is very agreeable, and it also rids the nose of any spirity intrusions. Palate: Sweet cereal with considerable weight, barley sugar, fresh brioche, buttery malt, apples, sweet white wine. The development sees both vanilla and grapefruit coming forward, which is unusual, but it works. The texture is luxurious and very oily. Reducing the whisky just a little with a couple for drops of water mellows and "blends" the palate very well. Finish: Medium. Sweet and mildly spicy but fading to dry in the aftertaste with a zingy almost bitter citrus nip. Water adds length to the finish with some added warm spice. I’m not sure which batch I’m tasting as my sample did not give me that information, but I think it is most likely the 2021 release. Like the Château Léoville Barton Green Spot that I reviewed here a few years ago this is a wine-finished riff on Green Spot that is pleasant and very easy to enjoy, but it’s questionable as to whether the price increase over regular Green Spot makes it a value purchase. I doubt you would find this now but when it was available it cost about 50% more than regular Green Spot. Still, it’s a well-handled white wine finishing and certainly a delicious whisky, although I did get a sensation of its youth several times. Initially I was going to give it the same rating I gave the Château Léoville Barton expression but after adding a few drops of water it responded so well that I'm adding a point to the score. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose is pungent and sweet with soft vanilla, orchard fruits (apple, pear), buttered toast, white grape, nutmeg, and mature sweet oak. Very inviting. Palate opens with a blast of fruits; I hate to use the word “orchard” again but it really fits. Apple, peach, plum, grape, tart raspberry, banana, and strawberry. Also we have vanilla, honey, butterscotch, powered sugar, marzipan, and the buttered toast from the nose. Quite a lot going on here. Finish is drying and surprisingly long for the proof. Warm cinnamon spice, nutmeg, soft oak, white pepper, clove, and a little pot still funk. Mouthfeel is silky and creamy and definitely elevates. A delightful whiskey once again proving that the “Spot” line of whiskies are among the best Irish whiskies in the world. At $104, it’s not cheap but probably reasonably appropriately priced for the quality. Not sure if I’d rebuy, but that’s more a personal budgetary concern than a critique of the product.

Bananas for days.